Uncle Toms Cabin

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When reading a classic text such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, high school students—especially ninth graders—will encounter words that are either antiquated or simply not part of their current teenage vocabulary. It is not necessary that they know the definition of every word in the work, but it is important that they feel comfortable with unfamiliar words and that they gain confidence in their ability to decipher approximate definitions using context clues. It is also important that they gain this comfort before diving into the book so that they will not be immediately overwhelmed by words they have never previously encountered. To gain this confidence, students will individually look through the text and find ten unfamiliar words. After finding these words, they will guess a definition based on context clues, with the assurance that they will not be penalized for errors in this portion of the activity. After guessing a definition, students will look up their set of words in a dictionary and copy the “real” definitions. Finally, they will invent their own sentences (the more creative, the better) using their newly-learned set of words from the text. Each student will share his or her favorite new word, the guessed definition, the real definition, and the original sentence with the class so that we will have a shared set of new vocabulary.

High school students are naturally emotional, and they tend to relate deeply to stories of human plight and suffering. Nevertheless, it is often very difficult for them to consider the grave reality of tragic events that occurred hundreds of years ago, and some may struggle to internalize the horrors of slavery in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. As they read the work, activities will be presented to make the text relatable to contemporary issues, but to gain immediate interest, the emotions of running away from a pursuer will be explored with a relatively light-hearted writing prompt. Students will be asked to write for twenty to twenty-five minutes on the following prompt:

Imagine you and an independent other (small pet, sibling, child, etc.) are running away from a spaceship filled with aliens who are trying to abduct you for slaves on their distant planet. Relate the story, being as emotionally descriptive as possible.

Creativity would be adamantly encouraged, and while students would have fun with the assignment, they would be reminded to draw upon the emotions evoked from the activity as they read the account of Eliza running from the slave-catchers. Any student who is comfortable would be asked to share his or her story with the class, and together the class would discuss the emotions in the account and how this might have been experienced by runaway slaves in 19th century America.

Students have learned a little about the history of slavery from elementary school or earlier, but unless they have had excellent history teachers, they do not tend to know all the intricacies of the slavery debate. To thoroughly understand Uncle Tom’s Cabin and to understand the actions of many of the characters, the students must have background knowledge on laws, traditions, and customs associated with slavery. The students will be broken into five groups, and each group will be assigned one of the following topics:
a) Slavery’s role in American economy in the early 19th century
b) Major abolition movements pre-1852
c) Typical slave tasks (for those in the field, in the kitchen, or anywhere else), and their varying degrees of difficulty
d) The Christianization of slaves in America
e) Slavery laws in America during the time of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Students will research their topics as thoroughly as possible, looking for facts, anecdotes, and any other material that sheds light on their particular slavery-related issue. Together, they will create an effective Powerpoint presentation, and every student in the group will contribute as they present their project to the class. Students will be graded based upon their participation in the project, their presentation skills (a thorough rubric with expectations will be provided), and their respectful participation as an audience.

Teenagers will be able to readily relate with the emotions presented in Uncle Tom’s Cabin if given proper direction. If they go into the reading with the anticipation that it will be beautifully poignant, they will be much more excited to read a work that some would otherwise approach with hesitance. Found poems are an easy way to cover many objectives; they get the readers delving into the emotions behind the words in the text, they provide the opportunity to learn about tone and voice, and they allow students to create something of their own and, ultimately, to feel a sense of ownership of the text. To create their found poem, students will first be directed to chapter five of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. They will be asked to find twenty-five words or phrases (3-4 words maximum per phrase) that fit into one of the following themes: hopelessness, empathy, motherhood, friendship, or brotherhood/sisterhood. (If students have a reasonable theme of their own they will be permitted to use it). After making their selections, students will craft a poem using nothing more than their chosen words or phrases. If time permits, they will type their poems and use computerized images and graphics to visually enhance them.

According to Neil Johnson of Orem High School in Orem, Utah, “Learning is done in a sea of talk.” Communication is absolutely imperative to the process of learning, and students cannot get excited about a work of literature if they are not permitted to discuss the issues presented in the text before, during, and after the reading. A Socratic seminar is one of the best means of allowing students to participate in open, relatively uninhibited conversation on topics related to the text. Thus, I will create—and perhaps allow the students to create—open-ended questions pertinent to the issue of slavery and other themes presented in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. With the desks in a large circle (or, if the class is too large, with an inner circle of and an outer circle of desks), I will present the questions to the class, and they will discuss the issues amongst themselves while I mediate the conversation. Students will speak one at a time, building upon or refuting one another’s ideas. If there need to be two circles, the outer circle will listen to the inner circle’s discussion, and after one topic is exhausted, the students will trade places for the next question. Students will be graded on participation and respect.

While reading the novel it is important that students connect to the events that characters are going though, even if there is some degree of detachment (geographically, religiously, or historically) from the text. In this activity, each student will be given a worksheet with a specific owner and slave task listed on the top. Students might be given jobs specifically designed to clash with or complement their personalities, or the assignment might be entirely random. Some sample assignments include Mr. Shelby’s cook, Mr. Shelby’s farmhand, Mrs. Shelby’s maid, Mr. Harris’s overseer, Mr. Haley’s assistant, St. Clare’s household servant, and so on. If this activity is done near the end of the book, Legree’s field servant would be an excellent assignment for some of the students. The top of the worksheet would inform students of their various assignments, perhaps providing brief details on what the assignment will entail. The rest of the worksheet will be the following questions, which are uniform for each assignment:
• How do you feel after receiving your slave task?
• Do you think you will be good at your assignment? Why or why not?
• What will be the best part about your task?
• What will be the worst part about your task?
• How do you feel knowing that you will are assigned to this task without a choice and without pay? Do you think it compares to how real slaves felt?
Students will be expected to have thorough responses to each question, with full, detailed sentences. Responses may, but do not necessarily need to be, shared with the class.

Harriet Beecher Stowe excellently (and, according to some, controversially) employs regional and ethnic diction to enhance the characterization of some of her less-educated characters. This poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation play an important role in the novel, but the characters are still speaking poorly, nonetheless. For this activity, a passage illustrating this grammatically-poor portrayal of dialect will be chosen, and students will individually edit the passage, correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, and even racial or political slurs (if there are any). Here is an example passage:
“Wal, now, just think on ‘t,” said the trader; “just look at them limbs,--broad-chested, strong as a horse. Look at his head; them high forrads allays shows caculatin niggers, that’ll do any kind o’ thing. I’ve marked that ar. Now, a nigger of that ar heft and build is worth considerable, just, as you may say, for his body, supposing he’s stupid; but come to put in his calculatin faculties, and them which I can show he has oncommon, why, of course, it makes him come higher, Why, that ar fellow managed his master’s whole farm. He has a strornary talent for business.” (Stowe 155)
After making corrections to this (or any other passage rife with “errors”), one student will be chosen to go to the overhead and make corrections on a transparency, upon the dictation of his or her peers. As a class, a discussion will be held regarding why Stowe chose to write with that style in that particular case, and the class will discuss whether or not it was effective.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a renowned classic novel for many reasons, but character development is not typically considered one of its strong points. There is, however, plenty to be garnered from the work in this category. Eliza, the female protagonist, is probably the character who undergoes the most development throughout the course of the novel. Students will be asked to create a comic book depicting five to ten scenes that mark the development of Eliza’s character. Prior to receiving this assignment students will be introduced to the idea of character development, the importance of it, and its role in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The class will be asked for examples of character development in the novel and for specific scenes that portray this. If students can come up with solid examples of character development in other characters besides Eliza, they may create comic depictions of them, though Eliza will be recommended because of the concreteness of her progression. Students may be told to do the assignment individually or in small groups, though because at least part of the project will probably need to be homework, this assignment is best suited for individuals. The project outline will be as follows:
• Five to ten comic strips (one page per strip) depicting scenes of one character’s development in Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• A direct quote from the book for each comic strip (proper citation required)
• Comic books may be either handmade or made on the computer, but all students must turn in a hard copy
• Projects will be graded primarily on their understanding of the concept of character development, but major points will also be awarded for creativity and neatness
Upon completion of the assignment, students will present their projects to the class. Though classmates will be allowed to give compliments regarding the aesthetics of the project, the class should have a short, focused discussion on the character’s development as represented in each student’s project.

In chapter thirty-three of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Tom refuses to mercilessly beat a fellow slave, and, as a result, he ultimately loses his life. Students will be moved by Tom’s compassion and conviction in choosing the honorable path, despite the fact that it led him to a slow and painful death. They will, however, need guidance in relating this scene to themselves. Students will be asked to think and write for a few moments on the following prompt:
• What is something for which you would be willing to die, even if your death was as painful as Tom’s? Why would you be willing to die for this? Would it be a hard decision?
After thorough consideration (and perhaps class discussion) on the prompt, students will be placed in pairs or small groups. In these small groups, each student will have the opportunity to present his or her response to the prompt in a dramatic fashion. In front of the class (or on a video camera or tape recorder), students will take turns defending the cause for which they are willing to die, against the coercions of the other student(s) in the group. For example, if a student was willing to die before divulging American secrets to terrorists, the other student(s) in the group would play the part of the torturing terrorist(s). If the cause does not have a natural villain (if a student were willing to die to save his drowning baby sister, for example), the partner(s) might personify the fear or hesitance of the protagonist. After the presentations, the class will discuss common themes in the causes for which they were willing to die with the following questions:

What was the most common cause for which you were willing to die?
Why do you think that was such a typical response?
What were some other common causes?
Why were these a little less common?
This will be compared/ contrasted to the motives behind Tom’s self-sacrifice, and the class will discuss the values associated with their willingness to die for certain causes with the following questions:

Why was Tom willing to die before harming his fellow slave?

Specific values?

Why are you all willing to die for some of your more common causes?

Specific values?

How do the values for which you are willing to die compare with those for which Tom is willing to die?

For some students the actions of Senator Bird will be unclear. Some will wonder why he was ever afraid to protect Eliza, while others will wonder why he was willing to take such a great personal risk in ultimately aiding her escape. Both sides raise interesting historical questions that can be best explored through research and writing. Students will be asked to pick between of the following two topics:
• What laws, traditions, and other historical factors made Senator Bird cautious to help Eliza escape? Look specifically for congressional issues during this time. Argue whether or not Senator Bird was justified in his concern.
• What were some abolitionist trends (including events, key figures, legal proceedings, etc.) during this time? Argue whether or not Senator Bird could be considered an abolitionist.
Students will be required to follow proper MLA formatting. Before beginning their research, they should be taught proper MLA style, effective researching methods, and how to compose argumentative thesis statements. Throughout the writing process good examples of student work should be shared with the class, including good examples of thesis statements and proper citations and bibliographies. The papers will be two to three pages (double-spaced), and students will be given ample time in and out of class to create a well-developed paper. At least two drafts should be revised and submitted. After the final draft is turned in, students will be given the opportunity to share their papers in groups or in front of the whole class, focusing on the positive qualities of each paper. By the end of the assignment, students will have used writing and research to understand more about the historical context of Senator Bird’s actions in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

A student who is uninformed regarding any negative critiques against Uncle Tom’s Cabin might find it difficult to consider that there are some racially unprejudiced critics who find the text appalling. Though most appreciate the book for its humanization of slaves, some argue that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is wrought with stereotypes that promote racism. Students should be made aware of this dichotomy and should have the opportunity to write their opinions on the matter, citing examples from the book that support their opinions. Students will be presented with quotes from individuals of both opinions. After a thorough class discussion on the opposing viewpoints, students will be assigned the following prompt:
• Should Uncle Tom’s Cabin be lauded for its abolitionist view or avoided due to its stereotypical depiction of African-Americans? Does it, in fact, perpetuate stereotypes? Is there a middle ground?
Students will be encouraged to put their own voice into their papers, and they will be asked for a thorough, precise critique of the text to support their opinion. The papers will be two to three pages and double-spaced with proper MLA formatting and citations. Throughout the writing process students will be allowed to discuss their ideas with classmates, and peer review will be highly encouraged. After the final draft of the paper is completed, students will participate in a well-behaved, well-informed discussion, each side presenting its ideas. Because students will have invested much time and thought into developing their opinions, they should be quite passionate about their views, so it might take a lot of regulation to prevent the discussion from turning into a heated debate. Encourage the students to be fervent without being disrespectful.

Tom’s final words in Uncle Tom’s Cabin are ones of forgiving and hope. First, when on the brink of death, he shares his faith with fellow slaves Quimbo and Sambo by relating to them his Christian beliefs. His last breath is spent telling his young Master George that he forgives the slave master who killed him, that he prays that God will have mercy on the man’s soul, and he reiterates his belief in Christianity. These scenes bring up the intriguing question of what message we would want to convey with our final words. Students, at this point in their scholastic careers, should be aware that English is all about the power of words, but it would be an excellent idea to reinforce this notion before giving them the assignment. Remind them that words have the capacity to do countless wonders, and ask students for examples of the power of words (if they have trouble thinking, remind them of Martin Luther King Jr. and Adolf Hitler (emphasize the negative power of words, in this case) just to get the ball rolling). After thorough discussion, present this writing prompt:
• If you were given 100 words or less for your final message, what would you say? To whom would you speak? After choosing a specific audience, write your final message. After you finish writing your parting words, skip a line and write a paragraph explaining why you would choose that particular message.
Students will share their work in small groups.

Assessment is absolutely necessary to ascertain that students have learned the basic concepts found within a novel, and though plot regurgitation is not indicative of high-level learning, it is indicative of reading comprehension. Students, however, often do not gain much from a worksheet style reading comprehension test. This is a different type of test that will achieve the same level of assessment. Students will be divided into groups of three or four. They will be assigned a major scene from the novel to reenact, and they will be told that part of their examination grade will be based on the accuracy of their reenactment. Within their skit, however, they are not allowed to use any character names unless it comes from a direct quotation of a character. As each group presents its scene, the audience will fill out the following information:
• Scene number (this information will be given to them)
• Characters in the scene
• Setting
• Who is the main speaker (if there is a direct quote)?
• Why is this scene in the book important for the work as a whole?
As previously mentioned, the actors for each scene will also be graded on their representation of the material. If there are any major problems with any of the scenes (a majority of the students can’t figure out what’s going on), the teacher should step in and provide assistance.

“The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point,” a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning about a mother slave who has escaped her abusers and killed her baby to save him from a life of servitude, provides an excellent opportunity for students to contrast the tones of the two abolitionist works. As a class, read “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point” and discuss the tone, what message Browning was trying to convey, and how the tone contributed to her message. In a Socratic seminar-type format (with the chairs circled and students speaking one at a time), students will discuss the following questions, with as little teacher involvement as possible:
• Are Uncle Tom’s Cabin and “Runaway Slave” trying to achieve the same thing?
• Who takes a stronger abolitionist stance, Beecher or Browning?
• How is Eliza similar to the mother in “Runaway Slave?” How is she dissimilar?
• Which mother sacrificed more for her child, Eliza or the “Runaway” mother?
• Which character from Uncle Tom’s Cabin is the mother most like?
Any other interesting, open-ended questions could be added to the list. Students must be instructed before the discussion that their comments should be respectful and thoroughly considered. They should also be reminded to participate one at a time and to stay on-topic. The teacher’s role is to facilitate straying or waning conversations and to ask new questions if one has been exhausted. After the activity, students should have a clearer understanding of how Uncle Tom’s Cabin and “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point” were both significant, though very different, literary voices in the abolition movement.

By the end of a novel as long as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, students will be ready for a fun and quick cumulative activity. Before the activity, the class will discuss the basic plot outline of the work, covering all the main events sequentially. These events should be written on the board as they are discussed. In the actual activity, students will be divided into groups of three or four (working individually or in pairs could also work, but groups will make the activity more entertaining). Students will be directed to consider the main events as outlined on the board, and, taking those into consideration, summarize Uncle Tom’s Cabin as thoroughly as possible into a ten-second oral presentation. Before groups present, students should be reminded to pretend as though they have no background knowledge of the story as they watch. Students presenting need not worry about grammar or sentence structure, but they should do their very best to present all of the main events in an extremely quick manner. This activity will teach students the concept of conciseness in writing and presentations, and it will teach them about the cutting step in the process of editing. After the groups present the “novel” in ten seconds, they will be asked to repeat the same activity, but this time without words and with a little more time. The groups will be expected to dramatically present the major events of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in fifteen seconds. By the end of the activity, the students will have refreshed memories regarding the plot of the book, and they will have learned that verbosity isn’t necessarily the best style when presenting information. After all groups have presented, the class might vote on whose presentations were the best, with a winner from the oral and dramatic categories. Then, the class should discuss what made the good presentations excellent, and what made the confusing presentations difficult to understand.